Sarah's Choice
by Jojapi
Summary: Sarah has decided to stay in the Labyrinth, more due to Jareth's manipulative ways than her own will. But all is not well for the Goblin King's bride...
1. Chapter 1: Sarah's Choice

**This is just a quick story I wrote when bored. It adresses a question I've always wanted to know - why the hell did Sarah return to the real world? Here's how it could have happened if Jareth's cruel cunning had convinced her to stay.**

**I do not own Labyrinth or any of its characters.**

"Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom-"

"Stop!" Jareth held his hand in front of him, as if trying to stop the words he was so scared of from coming forth from Sarah's mouth. "Wait." A bubble of pure light appeared, balancing on his fingers. "Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering. Your dreams."

"And my kingdom as great," Sarah ignored him, continuing to walk forward, Jareth shrinking away from her with every step.

"I ask so little. Just let me rule you and you can have… everything that you want." His words echoed around the crumbling walls of his broken castle, the swirling nothingness beyond threatening to take them both from where they stood on the edge of reason.

"My kingdom as great…" Sarah turned away from Jareth's pleading eyes.

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say… and I will be your slave."

Sarah stood, staring at the floor. Jareth's words seemed to have made an impression on her at last. He took the silence between them as an opportunity to step forward, laying his hand gently upon her neck, lifting her chin so he could gaze into her eyes. Still no words were spoken, until Sarah weakly whispered;

"My dreams…"

"That's right, Sarah," Jareth crooned, "All those beautiful dreams you've had for so long inside your head, all those times sitting, lonely in your room, that you've wished to yourself that they were more than dreams… but dreams is all they are, Sarah, out there in the real world, they are nothing. Unreachable."

Tears welled and flowed freely down Sarah's face as Jareth's words continued to caress her ears. Jareth pressed closer to her, held her tighter, talked faster;

"Think of all that I'm offering you. You needn't suffer any longer, here you'd be a goddess. You'd have friends, subjects, all the things you could ever wish for, and more. I will do anything for you. I would show you all the beauty of the Labyrinth that passed you by in your hurry to get here to the castle. You would want for nothing. And as for the real world…" he passed his hand in front of her face, "… you'd never have to think of it again."

Sarah felt her memories begin to slip away, leaving her mind empty and mouldable, to be filled with the new life she would lead. She began to let it slip away, leaving blissful emptiness. She moaned, clutched tighter to Jareth, never wanting to be left alone. His lips moved and found hers, and he kissed her, softly, gently, caring… Sarah let him. His tongue caressed her lips, then he moved way, kissed her neck, her shoulders, her chest. Sarah let her head roll back, her hair flowing in the wind as they stood, just the two of them, on the brink of nothingness. Then a lone memory pierced her reverie, and she pushed Jareth away. He, spurned, tensed his body as his eyes flashed angry, his raw power and rage obvious for the first time. Then it was gone.

"My brother." Sarah said coldly. "I can't stay here, for his sake."

"Your brother?" Jareth smiled coldly. "You brother will be spoiled, loved, all his whims catered for by your stepmother and your father. You being there would simply get in their way. You know it, Sarah, you've thought it to yourself so many times. Would you really," he lowered his voice in sympathy, so sincere that no one could detect the note of cruel mocking in his voice, "want to ruin their chance of happy families?"

Sarah lowered her head. Suddenly she felt angry. She went to Jareth, her hand raised as if to slap him - and grabbed his shirt with both hands.

"You're right, always right, they don't want me anymore. Not since mother died." Her watery eyes turned pleading. "Let me stay here. Please, please. Give me all that you said you would. Send Toby back to them, unharmed, and then take away my memories of everything before now. I'm yours." She sobbed into Jareth's chest, and he wiped her eyes; she reached up and kissed him, hard, desperately.

"Of course, my true heart," said Jareth as Sarah pulled away. "Anything for you." He waved his gloved hand; a child's cries were heard, then disappeared.

"Toby is gone. Home"

Sarah sniffled. Jareth waved his hand again; her eyes glazed for a moment, then were crystal clear again.

"My love?" she asked enquiringly. "What are we doing here? And why am I wearing these odd clothes?"

"No reason you should worry about, true heart. Something bad happened. But we're together now." Jareth smiled as he spoke, and Sarah broke out into a wide grin.

"Yes. Together." She held Jareth and they embraced long and hard.

Over Sarah's shoulder, a momentary wicked glint clouded Jareth's joyous face. A manipulative aspect to his deep, fierce and jealous love for Sarah; his cruel mind games had served him well.

As always.


	2. Chapter 2: Jareth's Anger

**Okay, I've had one or two requests to carry this story on. So even though I meant for it to be a one off thing, I'm going to play around with it a bit and see how it goes. Especially because it's quite fun to write!**

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own Labyrinth or its characters **

"Didymus? There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Just ask and I shall do my very best to assist, M'lady!"

Sarah and Sir Didymus were on a high wall top in Sarah's favourite part of the Labyrinth. Sitting as they were on an intricately carved niche, Sarah's long silk skirts flowing and fluttering in the breeze as she reclined on a satin pillow, they overlooked a bubbling stream which gurgled its way over broken walls and twisted around chunks of broken rock and statue. But it looked far from run down and desolate; luscious green ivies and multicoloured orchids stretched their slender necks as they tried to grab at blue fireflies dancing above them; trailing willow branches brushed the water's surface, tickling the attractively crumbling and moss-hugged statues, which had arms raised as a sort of greeting to the lilac sunset; cricket-like crimson creatures sang a chorus in high pitched click-clacks.

"Did you ever have a childhood, Didymus?"

"Why, of course, M'lady, we all have childhoods," Didymus skewered a turquoise flower with his staff, and offered it to Sarah, who accepted it with a smile. "My Childhood, as I recall, was in a swamp far to the North of the Labyrinth. Seventeen of us, there were, in an old tree stump, and jolly crowded 'twas too! However, being the youngest brother, by the time I was old enough to prove my worth as a valiant and noble knight - there were no more dragons to slay, trolls to outwit, goblins to banish or damsels in distress to rescue. So, mounted upon my trusty steed, I travelled far and wide, 'till I came to the fragrant Land of Stench - which, if thoust will recall, is where our first encounter took place."

"Yes, of course, of course, I remember. But - was there ever anything before the Labyrinth? For me, I mean." Sarah sighed and twiddled with her golden necklaces. "Before Jareth. I know _he_ had nothing before the Labyrinth. He was never a child."

"Indeed not, M'lady! Without Jareth, there is no Labyrinth. Without Labyrinth, there is no Jareth! I am of the mind to believe, M'lady, that they both came into being together, and have remained as they were until this very day."

"Yes, true. You always explain things so well. So... was it the same way for me? Have I always been here too? It's just that... when I look back to the past, it's all there in my memory; how I grew up in the Southlands with my family, in Froud Manner; how Jareth and I met at a masquerade ball and fell in love, how he brought me back here, all those years ago. I know it's all real. But... it all seems slightly blurred around the edges. As though something's missing."

"Missing, M'lady? What could be missing? There's nothing in thine past that thou could have possibly forgot. Thou hast been here for almost as long as Jareth has. Our Queen." Didymus sprung up, holding out his hand and bowing low to Sarah. "Speaking of which, I fear it is almost dark. The dark is no place for a fine lady to be! I shall assist thou back to the castle, M'lady, and protect thou from any harm that may befall you."

Sarah still looked unhappy, but stood up gracefully and began the walk, hand in paw, to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth which stood regal and forbidding above them in the dying light of the crimson sun.

-ooo-

Sir Didymus bowed low with his nose close to the ground as a farewell to Queen Sarah, remaining in the same position until long after the castle gates had closed. When finally they did, he straightened up, stretching and yawning. Then, leaning on his staff, he gazed up at the turrets high above him, thinking about the evening's events, and frowning slightly. He disliked lying to Sarah, especially when he saw her uncertainty and how sad it made her. But, it was for her own good; to tell her the truth would ruin everything, including her happiness. She had wanted to stay in the Labyrinth, after all...

"Surely she did, did she not?" muttering aloud to himself, Didymus whistled for Ambrosius. As he rode way to the swamp, he muttered one final thing-

"Not to mention what Jareth would do to her if she ever were to attempt to leave."

-ooo-

"Jareth, my love, answer me something."

The Goblin King was lying with his queen in a huge four poster bed in a room entirely surrounded by mirrors, glass globes floating near the ceiling and reflecting fragments of light everywhere. The large window allowed entrance to a gentle breeze, which caressed and cooled their delicate, nude, intertwined bodies.

"Anything." Jareth stroked Sarah's neck, planting sensuous kisses on her neck as she collected her thoughts.

"I've been thinking lately."

"Have you now, my pet," murmured Jareth, moving his lips further down Sarah's body, teasing her with his gentle teeth and darting tongue. Sarah closed her eyes in pleasure, gasping softly; then resolutely opened them again, determined not to be sidetracked by Jareth's seduction.

"About the past."

Jareth immediately stopped, his body becoming tense. "The past, my sweet? What about it?" He quickly relaxed again, reassuring Sarah in the way he always did. "The past has always been as it is now; you, and me. Our love. Nothing else. What else is there to want?" He slowly began working Sarah's intimate areas once again.

"Yes," Sarah breathed, leaning back, allowing Jareth to pleasure her in the exquisite was he always did. He loved her, and she loved him. She never allowed herself to question that, for fear that she may feel otherwise if she thought about it too much. Deep down, she felt she could be happy here; she could even ignore that nagging unknown thing in the back of her mind, if only she had one thing. She leaned forward, kissed Jareth's ear, and whispered oh so softly;

"There is one thing I could want..."

Suddenly Jareth threw Sarah off of him, sitting up and glaring stonily at her, his jaw set and his eyes blazing. "We have been through this before. We are not having a child."

"But Jareth, My darling, I want it so badly-"

"You will want what _I_ want! You are _my _Queen!" Jareth stood up and strode over to the window, standing there with his hands clenched, his eyes surveying his kingdom as he tried to calm himself down.

"I can't help what I want."

"Well you _should!"_ Jareth was yelling now. His anger made Sarah's anger flare up too.

"Why does thing make you so angry?" she yelled back at him. "Do you not want to share my love with anyone? Is that it?" The truth in this statement left Jareth speechless. In his rage he wheeled around and smashed a mirror, sending glass shards flying, revealing an ugly stone wall behind. Sarah laughed bitterly.

"Yes. That's the truth, isn't it."

"Do not question my love for you." his voice was low now, threatening, and full of menace.

"If you really loved me, you would do this for me. Jareth - give me the child."

These words seemed to trigger a small memory in Sarah's mind, though she couldn't grab onto it. Jareth's eyes flew open in fear, and he screamed at her. Sarah realised in shock that the same words must mean something to Jareth too, but before she could say another word, he hurtled across the room, grabbing her and slamming her into a mirror. She shrieked in pain as numerous slivers of glass cut her back and Jareth shouted at her hysterically.

"There will not be a child in the Labyrinth! There will never be, ever again, do you hear me? I have _spoken!"_

Jareth wheeled around, grabbing his black feathered cloak and swirling out of the room in a crackling purple haze. Sarah slumped to the floor, hurt, naked and trembling. Even now she knew that Jareth leaving was a mercy act; he had left before he had hurt her further. She hugged herself as tears coursed down her face, but one single word that Jareth had said kept fluttered through her mind.

"...again?"

**Oooooh, Getting serious now! **

**Did I catch Didymus's character right, do you think? He's a hard one to write as!**


End file.
